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What Goes Bump
What Goes Bump In the Dresdenverse there are plenty of entities— both mortal and supernatural—that go bump in the night. Lack of knowledge on a critter is often deadly when you’re trapped in a back alley with something growling, glowing, and dripping goo. It’s said that the White Court vampires encouraged (some say “masterminded”) the publication of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. With the general public forewarned and forearmed on the habits, powers, and weaknesses of Black Court vampires, the numbers of the Black Court have dwindled over the years—good news, because they’re pretty damned scary! Note that this is based upon the best information available; parts of it are somewhat speculative. Sources are spotty, and many of the rarer or more secretive creatures mentioned below are difficult to get a bead on. Angels Description Angels are composed entirely of soul-stuff (unlike mortals, which are soul and flesh). They most often explicitly appear to mortals as humanoids with wings, but, if being sneaky, they can appear simply as an average Jake or Jane. Angels do all of their mystical effects using soulfire, the very fires of creation. Angels aren’t likely to show up much in the mortal world, if at all. Their task isn’t so much to tell humanity what to do as to protect humanity’s freedom to choose between good and evil. As such, in order to restore the balance in humanity’s favor, they’re only supposed to intervene when Hell and the Fallen have already started messing around with mortal free will. What We Know The information we have on angels is limited and is also deeply tied to the power of faith rather than belief in magic, so what appears here is mostly speculation. What we do know is: Archangels are in the supernatural heavyweight class alongside Faerie Queens and old gods. There are four of them. · The Prince of the Host: '''Michael. He loves pomp and ceremony; he moves with the thunder of the wingbeats of an army of seraphim, the crash of drums, and the clamor of horns. He’s particularly associated with the Knights of the Cross. · '''The Trumpeter: '''Gabriel. He never walks quietly when he can appear in a chorus of light. · '''The Demon Binder: '''Rafael. He takes arduous tasks onto his own shoulders; he solves problems with his own angelic hands. He has also associated with the Knights. · '''The Watchman: '''Uriel. He’s quiet, subtle, the least known. He’s the most dangerous of the quartet and serves as Heaven’s spook/Black Ops guy. (The Winter Queen of Faerie, Mab, likes him.) The Knights of the Cross have some interaction with angelic forces: they create a powerful wards on the Knights’ homes; the Knights occasionally receive angelic messengers bearing prophecies; and, of course, freaking Archangels personally deliver Holy Swords to them. Angelic messengers can be waylaid by Denarians—but it is unknown how many Denarians are needed to dance on the head of an angelic messenger. See also the Fallen. '''Powers Unknown, but potent. Weaknesses Unknown; it’s believed they are constrained from operating in the mortal world—perhaps all Creation—but the limits and loopholes of those constraints are a mystery. Constructs Description Varies, depending on guidance and material. Often, a construct appears a little “off ”—for instance, a construct snake may not move the same way a real snake does; also, a humanoid construct might have bizarre features. No insides/guts or blood, either. What We Know The two most important things about a construct are its guidance (where the power comes from and the operating intelligence) and the material (what it’s made of). There are several types: · Magical energies ectoplasm (spell-based construct) · Mini-demon/spirit ectoplasm (typical construct) · Demon/spirit/consciousness ectoplasm (ecto-suit) · Demon/spirit/consciousness native materials (golem) · Artificial intelligence (AI) native materials (true golem) See also Demons and Zombies. Power is required to hold ectoplasm-based constructs together and also to bind them to the will of the operating intelligence. Native material- based constructs require less ongoing energy expenditure to hold together, but they demand more energy up-front to create. Continual guidance requires ongoing energy and attention; again, creating an AI for a golem requires a lot of up-front energy. When disabled, ectoplasmic constructs dissolve back into goo and then quickly evaporate. Native material constructs just fall apart. Powers Depends on the amount of power used to create the construct; more power generally means a bigger, badder, better construct. Native material constructs often gain abilities or strengths from their material. For example, a construct composed of plant matter may be fairly tough and flexible. Most combat oriented constructs aren’t usually doing something particularly special or outré, so much as packing a lot of raw physical power into some sort of form. Some may have special sensory abilities or a single ace-up-its-sleeve power, but those are much more rare. Weaknesses All ectoplasmic constructs are blocked by magic circles and can be “shorted out” by running water. Thresholds generally bar constructs from entering a home, but extremely powerful ones may be able to push through weak thresholds. Massive damage causes a construct to fall apart. Spell-based types require the concentration and power of the practitioner. Native material types often have weaknesses associated with the materials they’ve been built from. For example, plant-based constructs are vulnerable to fire. Constructs seem to share the weaknesses of their animating magic as well—that is, a construct animated by Faerie magic is vulnerable to iron. Demons ''' '''Description Varies, but usually humanoid. If attempting to appear human, something is always a little “off ” about the demonic shell’s appearance—mouth too wide, eyes glow in the dark, claws on the fingertips, etc. What We Know Most demons are beings from somewhere in the Nevernever (many hail from a subdomain called the World Below or Downbelow, which may or may not be Hell), and they don’t usually pay much attention to the mortal world—unless they’re hungry or justplain mean. Status within demonic hierarchies is important to some; these demons often deal in human souls. Demons don’t “get” sacrifice or love and have no sense of right and wrong. Demons are not the same thing as the Fallen (see below). Demons in the mortal world are generally either using an ecto-suit construct (see Constructs) or possessing a mortal body (similar to the “golem” type of construct). Both usually require mortal summoning and power so the demon can cross over from the Nevernever; possession requires substantially more power, as far as we understand it. While in theory a demon could cross over without mortal aid, the power requirements to do this from the Nevernever side are staggering—up into the supernatural heavyweight class (Faerie Queens, Archangels, old gods, etc.). When their shell is destroyed or they are exorcised, demons don’t die—the ectoplasmic body collapses into goo and the animating demonic entity returns to the Nevernever. Demons may be related to the spirits of Rage that empower hexenwolves and lycanthropes, and the spirits of Hunger that empower White Court vampires. Powers Varies; furthermore, demon constructs can be brutal or subtle, smart or stupid, depending upon the particular demon. Like other Constructs, the more power that is available when a demon is summoned, the better and stronger its construct. For a typical demon, it’s a good bet that they have at least Inhuman Strength, Speed, or Toughness; as more power is placed into the summoning, the remaining attributes get added. If further amounts of energy are available, then each of these attributes can get ranked even higher. Weaknesses ' '''Can be bound by magic to a wizard or sorcerer’s will, especially through use of their True Name. If control is lost, demons can run amuck. Running water can ground out a demon’s construct body. They are usually blocked by thresholds; if they enter without an invitation, they must spend most of their energy just to hold themselves together—that means no freaky magic, just physical capabilities. (However, demons possessing a mortal host may be able to work some weird mojo anyway, since they don’t have to constantly work to maintain their integrity.) Demons are blocked by magic circles. Lastly, they are vulnerable to exorcism (magical and faith-based), the power of faith, and holy objects. '''Dragons ' Description Since the greater dragons are extremely powerful shapeshifters, their appearance varies. However, it has been said that their natural form would crack the earth and any mortal looking at them would be overwhelmed with awe, terror, and insanity. What We Know The greater dragons are extremely powerful; they fall into the heavyweight class of supernaturals (Faerie Queens, Archangels, old gods, greater demons). They are huge, in every sense of the word. They tend to see humans as a bunch of chittering monkeys. Dragons seem to be curious and to enjoy meddling to an extent. They have been known to send out agents, or to appear personally in disguise, in order to observe interesting events or to push particular mortals towards particular choices. They’re mysterious, distant, unknowable, alien—and very, very dangerous. If they help people, it’s always for their own reasons. Powers Plot device-level magic, especially shapeshifting and Name magic. The ability to breathe dragonfire seems likely. The benefits of long experience, lots of power and skill, and functional immortality. Assume it has at least one of Mythic Strength, Toughness, and Speed. Weaknesses Unknown, but a Knight of the Cross wielding one of the Swords might be able to do some damage to one. Faeries ''' '''Description The appearance of a fae varies by what sort of type of faerie it is—there’s a vast range of different sizes, shapes, and distinguishing features. They are all remarkable in some way, though—be it remarkably beautiful, remarkably ugly, or remarkably odd. What We Know Most fae start off their existence as “wyldfae”—that is, they’re not aligned with either of the major faerie “nations” (the Summer Court and the Winter Court). While many fae declare allegiance to one or the other, an equal number choose not to declare. The aristocrats of the fae are called Sidhe and are slightly different than the typical fae (who are often called “the Little Folk”). The highest aristocrats rule the Courts; these include the six Faerie Queens and their mortal emissaries, the Winter and Summer Knights. Little Folk don’t tend to keep memories long. Nor is logic their strong suit. A promise given three times is binding upon them. They are not methodical or organized, nor do they tend to be impatient (though the lesser fae may get antsy when pizza is offered)—however, they are often vindictive. Debt and obligation make up a huge part of what they are, and they constantly trade gifts and favors, jockeying for power and position. Mortals shouldn’t give or receive gifts from fae or strike bargains with them: anything but an equal exchange is either enticing or insulting. Powers Functional immortality and glamours are pretty common, especially Invisibility and Blending (of varying potency). Most types of fae have natural skill and power with a particular type of magic. They can pass from their lands in the Nevernever (called Faerie) to the mortal world through specific points close to their particular nature (nixies through water, or cobbs through a shoe store, etc.). Most Little Folk have a few hoarded bargains or gifts or favors they can call upon. Breaking an oath to a fae gives that fae power over you, power that passes directly through any magical defenses. Little Folk are also very good at learning a lot of information really quickly and make great reconnaissance scouts. Fae are notoriously difficult to command via magic, thanks in great part to their tricky and deceptive natures. They are also not fully spiritual beings: when killed in the mortal world, they leave some sort of residue. Weaknesses The standard fae weaknesses include: · Iron (which they call “the Bane”) burns them with its touch. This is more than simple discomfort—it is a poison, affecting both body and spirit. · Fae must speak the truth (though they can still deceive). · Their magic doesn’t tend to last long outside of their immediate presence. Additionally, fae aren’t used to enduring pain. Like children, they get scared and wound-up about even relatively minor pains, like getting a shot or skinning a knee Traditionally, many of the Little Folk have strong cravings for human food items like bread, milk, and cheese. In the modern world, pizza has replaced the older fare in a gigantic way—almost to the level of a drug. Many Little Folk will take unusual risks for a single pizza. Some fae have additional specific weaknesses due to their type. The Fallen ''' '''Description Unknown, but probably humanoids with bestial aspects (such as the demonic forms of the Denarians). What We Know The Fallen are former angels, cast out of Heaven. (In other words: serious ''heavyweights in the spirit world.) They are not the same things as regular demons, though the Fallen might rule over the demons in the World Below/Hell in the Nevernever. The Fallen are ''very ''interested in the mortal world, but they are not free to act unless given permission (see the Order of the Blackened Denarius, below). '''Powers' The Fallen are in the heavyweight class of supernaturals, but—given that they lost the War in Heaven—they are slightly weaker than the Archangels. They have access to Hellfire. Weaknesses There are rules that bind the actions of the Fallen in the mortal world. They are almost certainly vulnerable to faith magic. The Order of the Blackened Denarius Description In their human form, Denarians look like their hosts. In their shapeshifted, demonic form, they usually look like humanoid or semi-humanoid beings with bestial and unnatural features. Many have two sets of eyes that glow (one human and one devilish) and a shining tattoo or sigil on the forehead that is their particular sign. What We Know Thirty Fallen have found a way into the mortal world by being bound to the thirty Roman silver coins paid to Judas for his betrayal of Jesus Christ: the Order of the Blackened Denarius. Each coin bears a symbol in tarnish that is the sigil of the Denarian bound to it. A mortal who picks up the coin almost always becomes the host of the Denarian; usually, the Denarian simply overwhelms the human personality and takes over. However, this nigh-permanent possession must be consensual. The Denarians are not above using drugs, dark rituals, and so forth to ease the process. Some Fallen work in tandem with their hosts (to a greater or lesser degree) and these partnerships are particularly ''dangerous—human ambition melded with the power of a Fallen angel. The mortal hosts sought by the Order are generally assassins, poisoners, warriors, or sorcerers. All Denarians have over ''two thousand years ''of observing mortal history (and the mortal mind) to draw upon. Masters of deception, it sometimes takes the Knights of the Cross (their direct enemies) literally hundreds of years to figure out if they are lying. '''Powers' It may be impossible to fully enumerate the possibilities here. They have, in varying combinations and degrees, shapeshifting, immortality, a perfect memory, some degree of magic resistance, and access to centuries of spellcraft (and Hellfire). It all adds up to lots of power, knowledge, skill, practice, and experience. They feed on pain and suffering (especially that of the Knights of the Cross and other people of faith). Weaknesses First and foremost, a Denarian is bound to its coin. In demon form, a Denarian’s human eyes are still vulnerable (say, to pepper spray). They’re vulnerable to faith magic and people of faith (the Knights of the Cross were specifically founded to combat them). Denarians don’t like to go into churches, because it makes them feel and remember; it makes them sad (at least in one case). Given their long experience of the mortal world and their expectations of “how things work,” the Nickelheads can be blindsided by spontaneity and improvisation. Lastly, the mortal host of a Denarian can willingly reject the Fallen and give up the coin, resulting in freedom from the monster. Ghosts ''' '''Description Ghosts are usually invisible; when they do appear, ghosts are typically transparent, insubstantial, and shaped like the original person they came from, though their ability to reshape their ectoplasmic form can lead to exaggerated or unnatural features. What We Know Mortals have everything inside them to make a ghost—all they need is the right set of circumstances. Ghosts are beings that live in the spirit world; they are the impression left by a personality at the moment of death. A strong imprint—due to either the strength of the personality or the situation around the person’s death—makes a strong ghost. While they appear to be self-aware and capable of feeling emotion, they are not. Ghosts’ home turf is the Nevernever, though they often skirt the borders of the mortal world. Shades tend to linger in graveyards more than anywhere else, especially in older cities. The boundary between the mortal world and Nevernever is thinnest on Halloween; ghosts formed at this time of spiritual turbulence are often more impressive. Strong ghosts can have their own demesne or bailiwick in the Nevernever, where they make the rules and are more powerful. While ghosts don’t usually inhabit a construct or magical body, they can manifest one if desired. Powers If they don’t acknowledge you, you can’t affect ghosts in the mortal world. Requirements for getting acknowledged: the speaker must possess some form of magic, know the ghost’s identity, and speak its name aloud. Exceptions to the magic requirement can and do exist, usually via a personal connection with the deceased. Ghosts are strongest just after the sun goes down, at the witching hour, and just before the sun comes up. Spiritual turbulence between the mortal realm and the Nevernever not only gives rise to the formation of stronger ghosts but also tends to increase the powers of existing ones. Common ghost abilities include telekinesis (minor to major), causing enchanted sleep, reforming their ectoplasmic shape, manifesting visually or materially through an ectoplasmic construct (though these abilities, especially forming a construct out of ectoplasm, appear to cost power), cold spots, sound generation, and weather control. A ghost can possess a mortal, but this takes a tremendous amount of power. Weaknesses Ghosts are usually limited to a certain time, place, or event, most often related to their death. Ghosts are not people or sentient spirits; they do not change or grow, they simply exist, experiencing whatever feelings they had when they died. They are not terribly observant— indeed, ghosts barely notice the mortal world except in how it relates to their limited purpose or existence. That being said, old spirits are often attracted to objects related to their nature—this might be possessions they owned while living, their mortal remains, or items of great personal importance. Faith magic works best when simply fighting ghosts, but necromancy can do so much more to them: enslave, control, or even destroy them. Ghosts sense necromantic energy, and it drives them into paroxysms of terror. They can usually only manage to move things in bursts; the average ghost doesn’t seem to have much of a magical “reserve tank.” Perhaps due to this, ghosts absolutely cannot cross a threshold unless invited. Ghouls ''' '''Description When blending, ghouls appear completely human. In ghoul form, they look like a Japanese horror cartoon: hunch-shouldered, grey-skinned fiends, covered in short wiry hairs. They have the worst features of mankind, hyena, and baboons, all mixed together: stunted strong legs, too long arms, and hands that have spurs of bone. What We Know Ghouls are probably scions— crossbreeds between uber-ghouls and humans in the long-ago past—that breed true. Ghouls can go through 40 to 50 lbs of meat a day, preferably human. Most ghouls existing outside of the society of clans (one of the largest being the LaChaise clan) don’t live very long. Maybe one in ten actually makes it to adulthood. These specimens are extremely dangerous. The rest get eaten by other supernatural predators, killed by animals (who really despise them), sicken and die, get run over by cars, or end their own miserable existence in fits of despair. Intriguingly, despite not being the brightest critters, many ghouls speak ancient Sumerian— likely their “household tongue.” Many of the ghoul clans provide cheap muscle for various nasty supernaturals. Both the Red and White Courts of vampires have utilized the LaChaise clan of ghouls for private vendettas in the past. Powers Like cockroaches, ghouls can recover from just about anything short of decapitation or a similar mortal trauma; they scar when they heal, but this may or may not last. They’re inhumanly strong, and in many cases faster than any mortal. They have claws and can appear human at will. Weaknesses Affected by holy water. Unwavering inability to control their appetites for long. Most are kind of dumb. Gods ''' '''Description Varies wildly. What We Know There are a lot of old gods hanging around the mortal realms: Greek, Roman, Norse, Amerindian divinities, African tribal beings, some Australian Aboriginal gods, others in Polynesia and southeast Asia, and about a zillion Hindu ones. Ninety-nine percent of these have been dormant for centuries. It is said that most gods are the first generation scions of angels, demons, or powerful beings of the Nevernever. Some of them are derelict angels—not cast out of Heaven, but just departed on their own. Millennia ago, such beings gathered into tribes (the Olympians, the Aesir and Vanir, the Jotuns, and so on) and were eventually venerated as gods by the local mortals. The strongest, most capricious, most frightening, most helpful, or most stylish are the ones that tend to be remembered today. The old gods drew most of their power from the connection with faith (some say “the directed will”) of their mortal followers. When monotheistic religions (Abrahamic and otherwise) and non-deity-based philosophies began to take hold across the world, the power of the old gods dwindled. Only the ones who were the strongest and most intelligent remained truly potent— weak and foolish gods burned out or were killed. These days, the remaining deities have gone in for different lines of work. Some have parlayed still-extant powers and loyal followers into private corporations offering unusual services.Others try to link themselves into things that are connected with their old portfolio—such as storms, volcanoes, or brewing—and draw power from the natural associations of those concepts, or from directed human interest in them. Then there’s the Almighty, the “capital G” God, and Jesus Christ, who may be constrained from action in mortal affairs except through careful “non-manipulation” of their mortal agents. Powers All of these gods, when active, range in power from not much stronger than the average wizard up to the supernatural heavyweight class. Their powers generally vary due to their individual portfolios. Weaknesses Varied, due to their individual portfolios and divine enemies. Also, and this is pure theory, lack of mortal worship and belief in them may have made them go dormant, or it could have been something Mortal Practitioners ''' '''Description Varies by individual. What We Know Mortal practitioners have something that permits them to access the power of magic, to a greater or lesser degree. It’s important to keep in mind that only ''mortals can summon demons or Outsiders to the mortal world. Lastly, a practitioner of any degree who has broken one of the White Council’s Laws of Magic is called a warlock (see The Laws of Magic). '''Powers' Mortal practitioners can work magic. Some, perhaps many, also have slight differences in their biology from other mortals. Weaknesses The same as most mortals, basically being mostly outclassed by the supernatural community. Old Ones and Outsiders ''' '''Description It’s unknown what Old Ones look like, but they’re probably in that “Cthulhuoid” area. Outsiders might be mistaken for very powerful demons. What We Know The Old Ones are an ancient race of gods or demons that once ruled the mortal world, but they have been cast down and locked away from reality behind the Outer Gates. The White Council has instituted an “instantly punishable by death” Law of Magic against contacting them. Outsiders are the servants and foot soldiers of the Old Ones. Only mortal magic can call up Outsiders, as far as anyone is aware. It is likely that Old Ones and Outsiders have abilities involving entropy and destruction. Powers Statting up an Outsider is hard: we just don’t know much about them. Even the weakest Outsider (assuming it takes a physical form) has a full or nearly-full selection of Inhuman powers, not to mention any sort of weird Outsider powers individuals probably have. Old Ones are probably in the supernatural heavyweight class. Weaknesses Because of the restrictions on seeking knowledge beyond the Outer Gates (or even of the Outer Gates themselves), the weaknesses of Outsiders are unknown—though the Knights of the Cross seem to be able to handle them. It is rumored that there are mortals born under a particular complex confluence of events, energies, and circumstances who have the potential to wield power over Outsiders. Unfortunately, we have little information on what this means. Thralls ''' '''Description: '''Varies by individual. '''What We Know: '''Thralls are mortals who have come under the influence of mind control magic, typically that of either a fae, a vampire, or a wizard. With the proper skill, therapies, care, and time, thralls can recover from their thralldom, but this always carries a burden of mental issues sparked by the violation of their minds (recurring nightmares, numerous phobias, personality changes, etc.). '''Powers: '''No additional. (They’re just controlled humans mostly.) '''Weaknesses: '''No additional (other than the whole “being mind-controlled” thing). '''Vampires Description When not “vamping out,” vampires tend to look like people, though there are some variations by Court. For instance, Black Court vampires tend to look like dead ''people. '''What We Know' There are four different Courts of vampire-kind; while detailed separately below, there are some commonalities among them. Vampires feed on humans, usually on blood or life energy. They have a bunch of powers which make this easier to do, as well as giving them functional immortality. They get more powerful as they get older. Increased physical strength, speed, and toughness are part of the package. Vampires have incredible senses (especially smell). They don’t use magic the same way most mortals do, but they can apparently tap into the nauseating power of black magic. If a vampire feeds on you, it can get into your head in various ways; never look into a vampire’s Eyes. They can tell when a victim is starting to “go under” their spell. The Black Court seems to be the best at it, and the White Court is the sneakiest about it. Vamps can enter and exit the Nevernever at points that are close to their nature (graveyards for Black Court, strip-clubs for White Court, etc.). If a vampire does magic in the Nevernever, it’s stronger than it would be in the mortal world. Powers Vampires can feed on humans. Each type of vampire is able to achieve some kind of enthrallment to aid its feeding, whether it’s with narcotic saliva, mind control, or emotional manipulation. Like most supernatural creatures, they can crossover to the Nevernever in locations that match their “affinity” (sex, death, etc.). Long-lived, they’re functionally immortal. Also on the list: enhanced senses (via powers like Cloak of Shadows and Echoes of the Beast). A rare few have magical talent. Weaknesses True faith and holy objects can burn vampires. Most vampires have a creepy aura, especially when using their powers. Sunlight is often a problem (but not always, depending upon the Court and strength of the vampire). ' ' Black Court Vampires ''' '''Description Black Court vampires look like dead people. If newly dead, they can be kind of juicy. If long dead, they’re kind of dried up and withered. They tend to have long black fingernails, flaking skin, and no fangs, as well as charnel house scent, rheumy eyes, brittle hair, no heartbeat. They might be covered in moss, worms, mold, etc. What We Know Since the dawn of human memory, Black Court vampires have hunted mortals. The collective noun for Black Court vampires is “scourge” and powerful old ones are called “Rukhs.” They kill frequently and propagate the fastest of all vampires. Any Black Court vamp can reproduce, but the spawn created by the rank and- file tend to just be feral animals that usually can’t create spawn of their own. Black Court vampires have acres of funky vampire powers. Even “newborns” are very powerful. They feel no pain from most physical damage, and bits of them can keep going even after being separated from their bodies. Despite all this, they’ve fallen on hard times; Bram Stoker’s Dracula ''is “The Big Book of How to Kill Black Court Vampires” and it detailstheir powers and weaknesses extremely well. As a consequence of this, the Black Court vampires currently around are either old and experienced, or comparatively young and weak. '''Powers' Walking corpses with mind-control mojo. They can get very strong, very fast, and their dead bodies mean they can take punishment that would stop a living creature cold (often ignoring gunshots). Mist-form. Pieces continue moving even when separated, though that’s of limited use. Extrapolated additional powers from Dracula: Control nocturnal animals (wolves, rats, bats). Weather control. Transform (bat, wolf, dust, fog) in unholy places. Rejuvenation by blood. Many of these may be more the province of master ''Black Court types. '''Weaknesses' Standard vampire weaknesses, plus: · Black Court vampires are affected—usually burned—by garlic, tokens of faith, sunlight, running water, and fire. Any of these things can cause them pain (unlike most other damage). · Staking them causes spastic seizures. · Decapitation can kill them. · Most of them are helpless during daylight hours (unless very old and strong). They weigh as much as a corpse of their appropriate age. This means that old vamps are desiccated and light…and proper application of force and leverage can take advantage of this. Especially when they’re new and haven’t gotten the hang of their powers yet, Black Court vampires may be “clumsy.” Extrapolated additional weaknesses from Dracula: sacred or blessed bullets. Communion wafers. No shadow or reflection. Must sleep in native earth. Red Court Vampires Description While wearing their “ectoplasmic skin” they look like people—usually attractive people. When they vamp-out, they look like black flabby creatures, with horrible bat faces, fangs, bellies tight with blood, and fingers and grasping toes that end in black claws. Slimy wing-like membranes stretch between their arms and flanks, but they are not functional as wings. What We Know Red Court vampires generate an “ectoplasmic skin” (like a construct) that resembles an idealized version of their formerly mortal body to disguise the bat-like creatures they’ve been turned into. Red Court vampire saliva is a narcotic which affects victims instantaneously through mucous membrane or blood contact, or within 1 to 3 seconds through unbroken skin. Vampire venom is the best drug ever (even better than morphine)—causing euphoria, arousal, relaxation. It also slows the victim’s heart rate tremendously; it is suspected that this is to help prolong feeding. Luckily, exposed venom burns away in sunlight, and direct sunlight can even help victims shake off the effects. Several alchemical formularies include a handy recipe for an antivenom potion that can help if taken right before or right after exposure to the venom. Powers Flesh mask, narcotic venom. Plus a full spread of nastiness: strong, tough, fast, and quick to heal. Weaknesses Standard vampire weaknesses, plus: Sunlight doesn’t just burn them; it also shreds their flesh-masks and strikes them like a physical blow. Additionally, their bellies are a vulnerable point; strike them correctly and hard enough, and all the blood they’ve consumed spills out, often leaving them too weak to fight. White Court Vampires Description Normally, they look like pale, extremely attractive humans. When using their powers, White Court vampires are surrounded by a cold wind, their features stretch, their cheekbones grow starker, their eyes turn silver and then pure white, their skin glows a luminous pearl, and their voice becomes more feral and vicious. Their blood is an unnatural pinkish hue. What We Know White Court vampires seduce, deceive, backstab; they are super-subtle. While not as physically formidable or aggressively organized as the Red Court and lacking the raw, terrifying power of the Black Court, White Court vampires also aren’t as completely inhuman and therefore don’t suffer from the usual vampire weaknesses to as great an extent as the other Courts. Within each of them dwells a symbiotic spirit (also called a demon) of Hunger that drives them to feed and grants them supernatural powers. Instead of blood, White Court vampires consume psychic energies—the pure life force—generated from strong emotions like lust, fear, hatred, pain, and despair through physical contact. They merge their own energy with that of the prey, allowing their Hunger to “dance” through the victim’s aura, thus transforming their prey’s life energy into their own; they then pull this away. So, victims have little pieces of life nibbled away; the spiritual damage caused by this makes them more vulnerable to the vampire’s mental allure and control. Continued feeding permits the drawing of energy from a simple caress, builds a psychic bond between predator and prey, and can burn the victim out early—usually in the form of a heart attack during an intense feed. Forcibly pulling away from the victim after the “last moment” is thought to be impossible. While a White Court vampire can feed on several types of emotions, the three main bloodlines of the White Court tend to stick with a single “flavor”: one house feeds on fear, another house feeds on lust, and the final major house feeds on pain and despair. To that end, the White Court secretly has its fingers in many industries catering to those emotions; an area of special interest seems to be films, especially horror and pornographic ones. As one source commented, this is like “training the deer to come to a place where they can be stalked and killed.” Powers Standard vampire powers, plus a sensitivity to emotional energies (and the ability to give rise to them, feed off them). Strong, fast, quick to heal; major sex appeal, at least among the lust-feeders. It wouldn’t be a surprise if powerful, old White Court types also take their Speed up to Supernatural. Very old and powerful White Court vampires can perform the Kiss of Death (which allows them to rip the life out of someone with a mere touch. Weaknesses White Court vampires suffer less from the standard vampire weaknesses. However, if their “reserve tank” starts to run low from overuse of their powers, they start to get hungry. In the short term, they grow moody, angry, and paranoid; over the long-term, the Hunger takes over and forces them to feed (or they go insane). Additionally, White Court vampires suffer injury from True expressions of pure, selfless emotions considered the “opposite” of the one they mostly feed on. This effect includes physical objects related to that emotional energy (some White Court vampires have suffered grave injury from handling a wedding ring or a rose exchanged between lovers). A prospective victim experiencing these emotions limits the effect of a vampire’s enthrallment powers. Zombies Description Zombies look like dead people shambling around, except when they’re running like madmen after your car. What We Know When a necromancer infuses energy into the corpse of a dead being, you get a zombie. Since zombies were once human, they have a larger “metaphysical footprint” than, say, animals. This means that a necromancer can pour more energy into them and get stronger goons. Older corpses have a deeper footprint and are easier to control; they are also harder to call up, stronger, and more difficult to damage. Necromancers control zombies using a drum, creating a false heartbeat. The necromancer links to the beat, which links to the zombie, making the zombie think the beat is coming from inside itself. In this way, via the linked drumbeat, the necromancer’s intentions are communicated to the zombie. The zombie thinks that these intentions are its own and follows them without question. Powers Inhuman Strength. Inhuman Speed. Inhuman Toughness. Feels no pain. Note: this is for a relatively fresh zombie; older ones (like at least a century per individual upgrade) can have Supernatural—or even Mythic!—levels of power. Weaknesses Massive trauma can kill a zombie. They can be rendered inert by cutting off the flow of energy animating them via running water, magic circle, ring of salt, etc. If the drumbeat controlling a zombie is lost, it will slip control and act unpredictably (could just stand there, or could run amok). Zombies aren’t intelligent, but they can follow orders; they’re about as smart as an average animal.